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Top executives from some of the world’s biggest companies are expected to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address at the BRICS Business Forum meeting on Friday evening, as India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit.
Representatives from Chinese companies, including China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Huawei Technologies and Alibaba Group, are expected at the event. Senior business leaders from First Abu Dhabi Bank, Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer are also likely to be present.
Business leaders from across BRICS
Around 1,000 foreign delegates are expected to participate in the meetings, people familiar with the programme said. The schedule remains tentative.
The day's discussions will centre on "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability". Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar are expected to address the opening session.
Discussions will span areas including agricultural security, trade, investment and the digital economy. The programme is scheduled to conclude with a Leaders’ session, where Modi is expected to deliver his address. Several visiting heads of state from BRICS-plus countries may also attend the session.
Large Chinese delegation in India
A sizeable Chinese business delegation is visiting India for the event. Among the prominent executives expected are CNPC chairman Houliang Dai, ICBC chairman Lin Liao and China COSCO Shipping Corporation chairman Min Wan.
Other major corporate names expected include Embraer president and CEO Francisco Gomes Neto, Vale CEO Gustavo Pimenta, Naspers Ltd CEO Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, Russian Railways CEO and chairman Oleg Belozerov, and Sberbank first deputy chairman Alexander Vedyakhin.
India has held around 350 meetings across different BRICS tracks in nearly 25 cities during its chairship this year.
Focus on trade and economic cooperation
The meetings come ahead of the September 11-12 BRICS Summit. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is also holding the final BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday and Thursday.
The business community is looking to BRICS to play a stronger role in building resilient supply chains, particularly as trade measures by major economies continue to affect global commerce.
